Features

This page provides an overview of some of the key features included in NetSupport Manager. In addition to this summary, please refer to the individual platforms tab above for a full list of functionality available in NetSupport Manager for each OS.

Platform Flexibility

Purchase a licence covering the systems you wish to manage. All versions and modules of NetSupport Manager are included in the price; no distinction is made between operator (Control) and end user (Client) and the licence is for the lifetime of the software, not an annual subscription.

Monitoring Systems with Interactive Thumbnails

The Monitor Mode feature allows a user to display a thumbnail view of all connected Client workstations simultaneously. The size of these thumbnails can be adjusted to suit. In addition, the user can mouse over a specific thumbnail for an expanded view of each selected PC.

This unique feature allows a user to keep a constant eye on target systems and immediately identify whether intervention is required. The view also provides key visual information such as OS type, network address, WiFi signal strength and battery life (where appropriate), the current logged-on user and the computer name for easy identification. Users can even choose to view a selected monitor from multi-monitor systems.

This view can be switched to Icon Mode, where all known devices are listed and overlaid with optional OS icons, location flags, WiFi and battery details, and more.

Remote Control

Watch, Share or Control the screen, keyboard and mouse of any PC irrespective of colour depth, resolution or operating system. NetSupport Manager delivers the fastest and most secure remote control available.

During a remote control session, capture screenshots, annotate the screen to highlight areas of focus for an end user or use the Audio functions on multimedia-capable PCs to talk to your users while providing support. Best of all, record your remote control session and store as a replay file for future use.

For training purposes, NetSupport Manager can also do the reverse of Remote Control: namely, "show" the Control screen back to all selected end users, delivering a simple and powerful instructional training tool.

Show the full desktop, a selected monitor or just a selected application to any number of connected computers in real time. Utilise a range of on-screen annotation tools to aid in your presentation or training.

Auto-Grouping of Remote Systems

The Control "tree view" provides an instant overview of your IT infrastructure by grouping the remote systems based on pre-defined criteria such as Operating System, PC type (laptop, all-in-one, desktop, tablet, virtual PC etc), even country. In addition, all devices are auto-grouped by NetSupport version, ensuring upgrades are easy to manage.

As you would expect, users can create groups themselves to reflect their own company structure as well as having quick access to a "recent" list of connected devices.

File Transfer

A user can transfer files between their PC and a user's workstation using a simple drag and drop interface - even drop a file directly onto the desktop when viewing a remote machine.

Directories can be automatically synchronised on two workstations and appropriate file types can be edited. NetSupport Manager utilises intelligent Delta File Transfer to reduce data transfer times when overwriting files that already exist, by checking individual blocks of data within a file and only transferring changed data.

Moving files from one PC to another may be useful, but the real benefits come with NetSupport Manager's ability to copy files from one PC to many in a single action - or "File Distribution".

A user can distribute files or folders from their PC to multiple Client PCs simultaneously with the minimum of effort. Using this feature, files can be distributed to all connected Client (end user) PCs, selected PCs or a pre-defined group. Files can also be quickly dropped onto the desktop or 'My Documents' folder.

The latest version of NetSupport Manager also features live folders. When initiating a file transfer to a remote PC, the path to any open folders (Explorer windows) on its desktop is displayed at the top of the file transfer view to ease quick selection.

Remote Inventory and System Information

A user can obtain a real-time view of the hardware and software installed on each remote PC workstation directly from within their NetSupport Control. NetSupport Manager collects over 80 items of information, specifically about the hardware or environment of each PC.

In addition, a full software inventory of current installed applications is provided as well as all installed OS hot fixes.

To aid further in remote support and diagnostics, a user can also remotely view and, security permitting, control applications in memory, all processes running and currently installed services.

Connectivity

Remote control products fundamentally rely on flexibility in their approach to finding and connecting to end user devices. NetSupport Manager is designed to work over a LAN, WAN or the internet, with support for both TCP/IP and HTTP communications (and even legacy IPX and NetBIOS support).

A unique "gateway" module is provided as standard allowing systems across the internet to connect securely and communicate without the need to use a third party-hosted solution.

The new "PIN Connect" feature allows quick connectivity with users simply by sharing a matching code, while the "always available" capabilities of NetSupport Manager ensure computers can be connected to at any time of day, remotely powered on and off with "wake on LAN" and, in the case of Intel® vPro™ systems, even remotely managed at the BIOS level.

Geo Location

New to NetSupport Manager is a simple but flexible feature aimed at making the grouping of remote devices much easier for companies supporting multiple sites. When a user connects to a remote PC, if enabled, the location of the device will be calculated based on its external details.

This information allows NetSupport Manager to provide an approximate location of each remote device, displaying the town, state and country (with supporting flag) within the Control application. Devices are automatically grouped by country for easier management. The feature can be enabled or disabled at both the Control and Client or simply managed via Group Policy.

Chat, Messages, Help Requests and Audio Support

Within NetSupport Manager, a user can conduct a two-way chat session between any number of selected users in either text or full audio mode.

Should the Chat recipient not respond, an audible alert can be sent to each workstation. The Chat progress can be sent to late arrivals using the "Send Discussion History" feature and, of course, the contents of a Chat session can be stored for future reference. A user can also send a text-based message to one or more chosen PCs, or even broadcast to all PCs on the network - ideal for alerting your users about an impending server shutdown or similar.

NetSupport Manager features extended audio support allowing one-way talk, listen or full bi-directional audio conversations (both within and outside of a remote control session), as well as seamless streaming of the remote PC's audible application sounds. Audio support is available over all LAN/WAN and internet-based communications.

End users can also, when enabled, send help requests directly to your helpdesk when they need assistance. The help request can either be sent to all available NetSupport operators, or directed to specific operators based on user-defined accounts. Incoming requests are displayed within the NetSupport Manager Control UI.

Flexibility

NetSupport Manager includes a wealth of supporting features to make remote support as simple and flexible as possible. Just a few of these features include a remote clipboard, remote printer re-direction, a full scripting and scheduling suite to automate tasks, a network deployment tool, the ability to remotely launch applications, a remote command prompt, registry editor and so much more.

Security above everything

NetSupport Manager has been recognised for the last 20 years as delivering the most secure remote control available. The latest version continues to expand our security from activity logs, to user acknowledgement to 256bit encryption, smart card support, AD integration and much more. NetSupport Manager is the choice of military and financial institutions across the globe.

Integration

NetSupport Manager has been designed to work both standalone and as a key part within existing systems. With that in mind, NetSupport provides a command line interface, feature access using command line "switches" and support for variables to ensure no matter what your environment, NetSupport Manager can be accessed and utilised directly.